Odessa Teen Arrested For Killing His Aunt

Odessa Police arrested a 17-year-old male Sunday morning after the teen shot and killed his aunt and attempted to shoot his uncle. The shooting happened on the 900 block of Rebecca Ave. in Odessa.

Luis Rey, 17, shot and killed his aunt, Maria Regalado, 46. Police say the teen also attempted to shoot his uncle while fighting with him for the gun, which caused it to fire again.

NewsWest 9 spoke with neighbors who were shocked by the shooting death and they couldn't believe something like this happened in their neighborhood.

Pete Caro, neighbor of Regalado, said, "I was really asleep last night, and there were lots of police here, and you know I heard a lot of fireworks. Then this morning, I find this bad news that somebody killed one woman here."

Other neighbors said that they knew the family and used to attend school and church with them. When hearing the sirens, the last thing they suspected to have come from the home was gunfire.

Sabrina Barrera, a nearby neighbor, said, "We thought somebody's house caught on fire or something, so we came outside and saw all the cops and they came over here and questioned us and asked if we had seen anything. But we didn't know what was going on until we asked and he told us somebody had been shot, murdered."

Maria Regalado was shot in the neck and was found dead on scene. After Rey struggled with his uncle for the gun, police say he fled. One neighbor says she didn't know Rey or his aunt Maria but says that they seemed like a normal family.

Socorro Guerrera, said, "I don't know their names but they seemed like a good family. Last night, we didn't know what happened until the police showed up. We didn't hear anything but we never had any problem with them or anything."

Juan Bueno, another nearby neighbor who grew up knowing the family, said, "He was quiet, he was just quiet, he didn't look like a troublemaker or nothing, he seemed like a neighborhood kid."

Residents in the area say that they don't know what could have led up to the shooting. Now, police are looking for answers.

Odessa Police say that Rey turned himself in and confessed to shooting his aunt and attempting to shoot his uncle. He is now facing first degree murder charges and charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Water is always needed and protected in our area. Industry leaders in oil and gas have come to Midland County to discuss the precious resource during the first Permian Basin Water in Energy Conference.

Water is always needed and protected in our area. Industry leaders in oil and gas have come to Midland County to discuss the precious resource during the first Permian Basin Water in Energy Conference.